Piedmont Opera will continue its 50th Anniversary Season with the North Carolina premieres of two operas by composer Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer, two of the leading voices in contemporary American opera. The double bill will include “Another Sunrise” and “Before It All Goes Dark” for six performances between Nov. 12 and 22, 2026, at Hanesbrands Theatre. “Another Sunrise” tells {…}
The Frost School of Music at the University of Miami announces its 2026-27 season. This article only features classical vocal works. Matthew Brady and Gene Peterson direct the The Frost Chorale in a concert of works by Shawn Kirchner, who will join as guest performer. Performance Dates: Oct, 30, 2026 Puccini’s “La Rondine” will be performed. Jenny Renee Synder directs. {…}
(Photo: Glodow Nead press) Festival Napa Valley celebrates its 20th anniversary July 4–19, 2026, featuring the world premiere of composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer’s new opera, “The Judgement of Paris.” This opera is commissioned by the festival and includes conductor Kent Nagano and director Jean-Romain Vesperini, alongside a stellar cast including soprano Danielle De Niese, baritone Quinn Kelsey, {…}
Following the departure of the Washington National Opera’s decision to leave the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, more than 60 artists have signed an open letter pledging support to the company. The letter, which is an ongoing effort organized by Pulitzer and Grammy-award winning librettist Mark Campbell, states “We, the undersigned, support the recent decision between Washington {…}
(Photo: “Dead Man Walking” by Jake Heggie was twenty-five years old on Sunday, September 14th. In San Francisco, its anniversary was celebrated by the opening of a production, one of the 80 productions worldwide, with the composer, Jake Heggie there to receive the San Francisco Opera Medal, and Sister Helen Prejean, from whose book the opera arose, and retold in {…}
(Photo: Matthew Washburn/San Francisco Opera) San Francisco Opera honored composer Jake Heggie with the San Francisco Opera Medal on Sept. 14, 2025. The presentation took place following the 25th anniversary premiere performance of “Dead Man Walking.” Matthew Shivlock, the company’s Tad and Dianne Taube General Director, bestowed the famed composer with the award. “Thank you for welcoming me in and {…}
(Credit: James Niebuhr) Jake Heggie has joined the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s composition faculty. Heggie will begin in his new position in the fall, 2025. In a statement, Heggie said, “Collaboration and hard work are at the heart of my creative life, and I see the San Francisco Conservatory of Music as a vibrant hub of possibility and connection. {…}
An egomaniac goes on an obsessive revenge tour to heal his bruised ego, in the process destroying himself and the entire community that he is supposed to lead and protect. In a way, “Moby Dick” is a perfect story for our times, especially given what has transpired in the past six weeks. It also connects perfectly with an incident that {…}
Opera Parallèle has announced details for its benefit evening, “In Pursuit of a Dream: A 15th Anniversary Celebration Honoring Composer Jake Heggie.” The event will be held on March 27 at the City Club of San Francisco and will feature legendary mezzo-sopranos Susan Graham and Frederica von Stade along with other artists. They will perform a program of musical selections {…}
The winners of the 64th annual Musical America Artist of the Year Awards have been announced. Conductor and soprano Barbara Hannigan has been named Artist of the Year for 2025. Hannigan made her conducting debut at age 40 at the Chatelet in Paris. She currently serves as the Principal Guest Conductor of Göteborgs Symfoniker, the Principal Guest Conductor of Orchester {…}
(Photo credit: Curtis Perry) Baritone Joshua Hopkins and Yannick Nézet-Séguin give the U.S. orchestral premiere of Jake Heggie and Margaret Atwood’s “Songs for Murdered Sisters.” Hopkins’ sister, Nathalie Warmerdam, was one of the victims in one of Canada’s worst cases of domestic violence. Since Warmerdam’s murder in 2015, Hopkins has since set out on a journey to use his voice {…}